Class 11 and 12 Students in CBSE Schools Can Now Opt for Legal Studies

Legal Studies: A New Optional for CBSE’s Senior Secondary Students

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has decided to introduce legal studies in classes XI and XII from the coming academic year, as a pilot project in 200 schools in India and abroad, said a Times of India news report.

The report further stated that the CBSE in its letter dated April 5, 2013 has written to schools interested in offering the legal studies course to their students to submit their expression of interest by April 20.

ToI quoted CBSE chairman Vineet Joshi: “[The Legal Studies course] will empower students of 21st century and open new career avenues for them in law. After a lot of brainstorming with scholars and experts, the board has decided to offer legal studies at class XI level from 2013-14. The course in the first year will be a pilot run on first-come, first-served basis. Based on the response, we will offer it to the rest of our affiliated schools.“

According to the ToI report the legal studies subject will include teaching of theory and nature of political institutions, nature and sources of law, historical evolution of Indian legal system, civil and criminal courts and processes, family justice system, arbitration, tribunal adjudication and alternate dispute resolution, human rights in India, international context and legal profession in India.

Will this create new a job avenue of ‘teaching law in schools’ for law graduates? Do let us know your views in comments below.

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Introduction of Legal Studies to the students of CBSE is a welcome one. Each and every citizen must aware of the structure of the Courts from grassroots to Supreme Court. The people should know the appointment of Law Officers from Supreme Court to District Courts or Subordinate Courts.

People are not clearly aware of the appointment procedure of Law Officers like Addl. P.P.s, PPs, Govt. Pleaders, Asst. Govt. Pleaders and other Standing Counsels for each Govt, department as well as their purview, powers, privileges, nature of work etc. CBSE has to add the said info in the said books in future. As per the latest Companies Act, 2013, Company Prosecutors will be appointed by the Central Govt. Like P.Ps., Addl. P.Ps, what are the powers, privileges, nature of work, limitations of them should also be added in the “Legal Studies.”

Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN) published a lot of books on imparting training to the children on human rights. Writ jurisdiction is limited to High Court and Supreme Court only. So awareness about fundamental rights and fundamental duties, human rights are lesser known to the people.

Another thing is Bar Council of India is not recognizing the Law Teaching as practicing of Law. So many talented Advocates those who wants to practice may not teach in Schools or in Colleges. By this there will be scarcity of talented Law Teachers. For example : If BCI updated Law Syllabus and added new subjects, we cannot find well trained Law Teachers to teach the said Law in schools or in colleges.

Knowledge of Law is essential for all but are we have enough well trained teachers to teach Law? The people should clearly know the purview of an Advocate and when to approach an Advocate? how to utilize the services of an Advocate. People should have basic knowledge of filing procedure otherwise they have to rely on the middlemen or brokers or touts who can mislead them easily and can extract more money and pay less to the Advocates. For example : to attest the documents Notaries are being appointed by the State or Central Govts. majority of the people don’t know how to use these Notaries. Where they are available. So, they have to rely on touts or middlemen.

Another thing is .. documents are being prepared by the Document Writers. They may not be well trained Advocates. Yet, at Dist. level people are approaching these document writers rather than Advocates. People must be suggested to contact Advocates rather than Document writers to prepare important documents.

Due to Right to Information Act .. the people should know the basics of this Act and what information Courts will provide? what will not be provided? Legal Studies books must include the information on Right to Information Act and how to get the information from the Govt. authorities. Mainly the people should know how to prepare (proforma ) an application under RTI Act, 1st Appeal, 2nd Appeal or Appeal being filed before State Commission and National Information Commission.

To create law abiding citizen understanding and knowledge about the Law and structure of the courts from grassroots to Supreme Court is very useful. The decision of CBSE to introduce Legal Studies is a good one. But the said book must be more realistic.

legal studies is the best subject i have ever studied . when i came to know that our school is introducing a new subject called ” legal studies ” i was very happy but my legal studies teacher is not really good at teaching . but i am sure that whoever opts. this subject will make his/her future brighter.

Hello I am Rima Biswas BA LLB HONOURS from Calcutta University Dept.of Law. I am into helping and teaching school children for over 5years now, for CBSE legal studies paper, students and respective parents can contact me via my email at rimabiswas89@yahoo.in ,further information will be provided thereafter(Free consultation). Thank you.

Congratulations to CBSE for opening the new doors of learning law in school and so Earnest request to CBSE to exibit / declare the names of schools which must have subscribed to teaching legal studies as elective subject. This is because as per notification of CBSE each school desirous to offer legal subject in school, the school is required to fill up the form. Therefore the schools opting for the aforesaid subject shall submit such form and CBSE will have the data / names of schools having opted for the legal studies as subject offered by them in the respective school. So request to CBSE to give the list of such schools for the larger convenience of parents / citizens.

Great idea. It should be implemented and should be clubbed with the teaching of Social Work and Law so that the students will be able to understand the use of various statutory provisions they will be able to understand the implications of violating at Family level and as well in society. I think there is no need to set the criterion of Masters of Law for teaching Law. Bachelor degree in Law is sufficient for teaching at the School Level. The Law degree itself takes 3 years to complete.

It’s not that all schools are offering it. You happen to get isolated job openings for legal studies and that too as part time. It will take couple of years before it becomes a subject to be taught full time.

We don’t have the adequate number of qualified and capable teachers for university level legal education, then how will they manage on the school level? Will B.A., M.A. passed teachers will first learn and then teach law?

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